Newslinks for Wednesday 16th April 2025

Starmer’s EU reset risks US trade deal

“Sir Keir Starmer is closing in on a new partnership with the EU that could put a trade deal with the White House at risk. British negotiators are close to signing up to Brussels’ food and veterinary standards, The Telegraph understands. The move – expected as soon as next month – could shut out American products, which Donald Trump wants to sell to Britain. On Tuesday night, leading Brexiteers warned the Prime Minister that aligning more closely with the EU would endanger sensitive talks with the US.” – Daily Telegraph

• Race to stop Trump tariffs hitting British medicine industry – The Times
• EU faces higher tariffs as US talks break down – Daily Telegraph
• ‘Labour selling out the country AGAIN!’ Outrage as Keir Starmer accused of fresh Brexit ‘backsliding’ with plans to bow to EU judges – GBNews
• Forget soft Brexit if you strike trade deal with Trump, EU insiders warn Starmer – The i
• Ed Davey warns over UK-US trade deal risks – ITN

Comment:

• Hopes of a UK-US trade deal are rising but can Trump be trusted? – The Times view
• UK-US agreement may be ‘in the foothills’ but to call it a ‘trade deal’ would be misleading – Mark Stone, SkyNews
• Trump is offering Brexit Britain a once-in-a-generation chance. Starmer mustn’t let his love affair with Brussels jeopardise it – Nile Gardiner, Daily Mail
• Is Starmer plotting to sacrifice British farmers to obtain a US trade deal? – Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph
• The EU doesn’t care about UK’s food safety… just the £40bn we spend post-Brexit importing everything from beef to butter – Daniel Hannan, The Sun

China’s access to UK infrastructure, with the country gaining access to NHS medical records from 500,000 patients

“Chinese researchers will be granted access to NHS medical records despite MI5 fears that health data could be misused by Beijing. Western intelligence agencies have warned that China is amassing troves of sensitive information in a potential threat to national security. But it could soon get its hands on data from the GP records of half a million UK patients in a move branded ‘outrageous’ by MPs.” – Daily Mail

• Chinese firm ‘will not bid’ to run Essex nuclear plant – The Times
• How much vital UK infrastructure does China own? – BBC Verify

Comment:

• We are reckoning with one of history’s great tyrants – Bruce Anderson, CapX
• Why was I deported from Hong Kong? There should be no more ministerial visits until the UK gets an explanation – Wera Hobhouse MP, The Guardian
• Of course Britain’s military chiefs should be meeting with China – John Foreman, The Spectator

Today: Tali Fraser on ToryDiary: Why it is time to bring back the modern Domesday Book

Labour faces summer of union discontent

“Sir Keir Starmer is facing a summer of discontent as union leaders lay the groundwork for widespread strikes. Teachers, NHS workers, civil servants and university staff could all stage walkouts over pay, job cuts and working conditions in the coming months. It comes as bin workers in Birmingham continue to leave rubbish piling high on the city’s streets in their standoff with the Labour-run council. Their union leaders have threatened to repeat the scenes across the country.” – Daily Telegraph

• Mayor hits out at ‘Birmingham bashing’ as bin strike troubles mount – The Times
• Birmingham bin strike: Nigel Farage explodes at Labour as tonnes of rubbish piles up – Daily Express
• Fury as just 41 bin workers said to be behind strike holding Birmingham to ransom – The Sun
• It’s alright for them! The militant union leaders spearheading the Birmingham bin strikes from towns and cities miles away – Daily Mail
• Why are Birmingham bin workers striking and will walkouts spread? – The Times

Comment:

• The revolting bin chaos in Birmingham is a national disgrace – and it tells us exactly who actually holds the power in Starmer’s Britain – Sarah Vine, Daily Mail
• Ministers mustn’t cave in to unions over Birmingham bin strike – The Times view
• Labour’s capitulation to the unions mean their chiefs think Government is a pushover – The Sun says
• Labour councils are being held to ransom – Telegraph View

Judges to announce ruling on definition of a woman

“The Supreme Court is to deliver its verdict on how a woman should be defined in law. The announcement marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and a women’s group. The outcome could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales.” – BBC

• Supreme Court to rule on definition of ‘woman’ — what’s at stake? – The Times

Comment:

• The Supreme Court ruling on what it means to be a woman is a chance to take back our rights – Suzanne Moore, Daily Telegraph
• The Supreme Court is deciding what a ‘woman’ is – but it is obvious to toddlers – Susan Smith, LBC
• What could the For Women Scotland judgment mean for women’s rights? – Catriona Stewart, The Spectator

Nigel Farage is a ‘poundshop Donald Trump’, says teaching union leader, as Reform is ‘parking its tanks’ on Labour’s lawn

“The UK’s largest teaching union has called Reform UK ‘far-right and racist’ and its leader has dismissed Nigel Farage as ‘a poundshop Donald Trump,’ as the union pledged funds to oppose the party’s candidates in elections. Delegates to the National Education Union’s annual conference backed a motion stating that ‘far-right and racist organisations, including Reform, seek to build on the despair, poverty and alienation in our society’.” – The Guardian

• Reform UK split on new youth wing – The Spectator
• Nigel Farage Was Asked How He Plans To Pay For All Of Reform’s Policies – And Couldn’t Answer – HuffPost
• Senior Tories Meet German Counterparts To Discuss Rebuilding and Fighting Reform – PoliticsHome

Comment:

• Reform are gearing up to kick Starmer’s red wall down – Mike Graham, Daily Telegraph
• Reform UK’s mask will drop if voters spot these glaring contradictions – Andy Twelves, Daily Express
• A pact with Reform would give its best people a chance to audition – for the Tories – Henry Hill, Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

Peter Franklin on Comment: The local elections could make or break a Tory-Reform alliance

Owen Webster on Comment: Badenoch needs urgently to become the threat to Starmer and Farage that she promised to be

Bomber’s brother Hashem Abedi given spork after prison attack

“Hashem Abedi has been given a spork to eat his food with and transferred back to Belmarsh prison, where he previously launched a vicious attack on prison guards, The Times can reveal. It has triggered concerns about the prison service’s handling of the Manchester Arena terrorist, who allegedly attacked three officers on Saturday with boiling cooking oil from a separation centre.” – The Times

• Afghan migrant ‘threatened to kill Nigel Farage while travelling to UK on small boat’ – Daily Express

Comment:

• Hashem Abedi’s sick jail attack shows what happens when you treat animals like humans – Carole Malone, Daily Express
• How does Manchester Arena terrorist end up enjoying cookery and gym in jail? It’s time to put these monsters in solitary – Jane Moore, The Sun

News in brief

• Keep American meat out of Britain  – James Rebanks, UnHerd
• We should not accept ID cards – Craig Drake, The Critic
• Republicans should take back control from Trump – David Gauke, New Statesman
• Brace yourselves for Trumpian architecture – Bénédicte Eustache, Prospect
• Forget gadgets, London’s tech prowess is now all about experiences – Paul Armstrong, City.AM